Automatic hoisting cage or elevator unloader



3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

T Patented May 5, 1885.

(No Model.)

- I D. JENKINS.

AUTOMATIC HOISTING GAGE 0R ELEVATOR UNLOADER.

WITNESSES D. JENKINS AUTOMA No. 317,136. Patented, May 5, 1.885.

(No Model.) I s Sheets-Sheet a. v D.' JBNKI1\ S.

AUTOMATIC HOISTINGUAGBUR,ELEVATOHUNLOADBR:

Patented May 5, 1885;

JJVVEJVTOR J d/2 16 f il/ W WITNESSES ttor y UNITED ST TES PATE T OFFICDAVID J ENKINS, OF EVANSVILLE, INDIANA.

AUTOMATIC HOISTING CAGE OR ELEVATOR UNLOADER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 317,136, dated May 51885 Application filed October 14, 1884. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, DAVID JENKINS, a citizenof the United States, residing at Evansville, in the county ofVanderburg and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Automatic Hoisting Gage or Elevator Unloaders, of whichthe following is a specification, reference being had therein to theaccompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements inelevators used in connection with mining and other shafts; and it hasfor its object, first, to provide mechanism which shall automaticallyact to run the car or truck from off the platform or cage when thelatter reaches the top and bottom of the shaft, respectively; second, toprovide means which shall automatically assume a position with relationto the tracks upon the platform to prevent the accidental running off ofthe car or truck, and which shall also automatically co operate with thedischarging or running-off mechanism to allow the car or truck to runfrom or leave the same; third, to provide the shaft with means whichshall automatically act to sustain the platform or cage when at or nearthe top or mouth of the shaft; and with these ends in view my inventionconsists, essentially, first, of a vertically traveling platform or cageprovided with tracks capable of being elevated at either end, andconnected together by rock-shafts disposed each at their termini, andhaving detent-hooks which engage with adjustable dogs located one set atthe mouth of the shaft and two sets at bottom of the shaft, whereby,according to which rockshaft engages the dogs, the tracks are elevatedat either end and the car or truck discharged at the other end;

secondly, of a rock-shaft located upon the platform in the direction ofthe tracks and connected with one of them, so as to partially turn onits own axis when that particular track is elevated at eitherend,whereby the inwardly-yielding arms,with which the said shaft isprovided at both ends, and which normally stand vertically and above andbeyond the car ends, are thrown to one side and the car allowed to passover; and, thirdly, of supports pivotally connected with the walls ofthe mining-shaft, and constructed to yield and allow the platform topass upwardly by them, and

to fall within the area of the platform after such passage and preventits descent.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, andon which like reference-letters indicate corresponding features, Figure1 represents avertical sectional;

view through a miningshaft, showing my improved mechanism, in sideelevation, applied thereto; Fig. 2, a like view of amining-shaft,showing the pivoted supports and the upper and lower dogs and theirco-operating devrc s in side elevation; Fig. 3, a detached enlarged planview of the platform or case.

The letter A designates one of the walls oft a mining-shaft, standingvertically within which are the usual columns, B, which in this instanceserve as guides for the platform 0, constructed, preferably, of wood,and provided at either side with guide-jaws D,whicl1 embrace the columnsB. This platform is also provided with bracing-frames E, having likeguide-jaws at their upper ends, and connected together by a cross-beam,F, with which is connected the hoisting apparatus. Extending upwardlyfrom the platform are bifurcated standards G, between the members ofwhich pass the rock-shafts H, whereby they are allowed vertical play,but prevented from displacement. These rock-shafts extend through thetracks I, and are both provided at either end with a detent-hook, J,which engages the tripping-dogs, to be presently described, and withlong arms or levers K, which are so lo cated with relation to the tracksthat the wheels of the car keep them depressed, where by engagement ofthe detent-hooks with the dogs is maintained until the car runs off thetracks. The tracks in the present instance are constructed with a hollowor groove,within which the respective levers K normally rest, and their(the tracks) position on the platform is maintained by the rockshafts H,fitting within the members of the standards G.

The letter L designates the keeper-shaft, the same being mounted injournal-bearings secured to the platform, and provided near the Ice torun over the arms 1? (secured to the ends of said shaft) and the pivotedtriggers Q, mounted therein. These triggers yield to the touch of thecar when moving toward the platform, and the arms 1? are loosely securedto the shaft L, and are provided with a catch, R, which drops into anotched collar, S, firmly fiXed upon the shaft L. This arrangementallows the arms P to be turned down without turning the shaft, shouldoccasion require.

A modified or auxiliary means of maintaining the car or truck on thetracks is repre sented by T, the same consisting of a shaft pivotallyconnected with the platform at U, and provided with bends or offsets V,which lie partially across the track and prevent the truck-wheels fromrolling in either direction. An inclined hook, W, extends from the trackinto a link, X, formed in the shaft T, which acts to throw the bends Vback from the track when the track is elevated, whereby the track iscleared and the car allowed to run off. The outer bends terminate ininwardly-extending arms Y, which, being impinged by the flanges of thewheels as the car runs onto the tracks, throw the bends V back andpermit the car to enter upon the tracks.

The letter Z indicates the upper set of dogs, the same being pivotallyconnected to a suitable frame-work, a, constructed and located at themouth of the shaft A. These dogs are of bell-crank form, the lowermembers serving as counter-balances to the upper members,and the latterare slotted, b, to receive a guide-rod, c, secured to the frame a,whereby the dogs are maintained against undue lateral play. The upperends of the upper members of the dogs Z are provided with catches d,which drop into notches 0, formed in the pitmenf, located at oppositesides of the mouth of the shaft. These pitmen f control theposition ofthe dogs and enable the operator to throw them toward the center of theshaft when it is desired to avoid engagement of the detent-hooks J withthe dogs, so as to prevent the tracks being elevated and the car runoff. The free ends of the pitmen work in slotted standards whereby theyare guided, while the other ends thereof are connected, the one to thearm hand the other to the arm 1;, secured to the rock-shaft k. The arm his connected to a locking-bar, Z, having notches which fit over studs m,extending from the lever a. lVhen it is desired to actuate the pitmenfor the purpose above named, the use of this lever is invoked, while thelocking-bar serves to maintain any given position of the dogs Z. Therock-shaft 7c is mounted in bearings secured to one of the supports 0,and the lever n is also secured to the same support. Both supports arepivoted upon rods 19, fastened to the walls of the mineshaft, andincline inwardly and rest against stops q, also fastened to themine-shaft. A spring, 1, is used to insure the inward inclination of thesupports, and the latter are connected together by a bar or rod, 8.\Vhen the platform passes these supports in its ascent,

it presses them outward, and when it has cleared them they fall under itand support it. Then it is desired to lower the platform, the lever 12is thrown outward, so that the supports are withdrawn from under it, andthe platform is then allowed to descend.

The letter tindicates the lower sets of dogs, the same being constructedlike those above described, and provided with guides a, which preventlateral play. The upper members of these dogs are connected together byrods 1;, and to the arms to by the rods 00. The arms w extend from arock-shaft located at the bottom of the mine-shaft, and one of thesearms connects with a sliding bar, y, fitted in a bearing, 2, andprovided with a stud, ct,which engages with slots Z), formed in thelockplate 0. Vhen the dogs t are in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2,the right-hand set will engage the detect-hooks J, and the tracks ereelevated at that end, thereby running the car off" at the other end ofthe platform. XVhen, however, the rod y is moved so as to drop the studa into the slot at theleft of the loeking-plate,the left-hand end of thetracks will be elevated and the car run. in the opposite direction.Should the stud a occupy the intermediate slot, 1), the horizontalattitude of the tracks will be maintained and the car allowed to remainthereon.

As seen in Fig. l, tracks which convey the ear to any convenient point,either in the mine or above on the surface, are laid so as to registerwith those on the platform,a suitable buffer, (1, being employed toarrest the car where desired. W

It is obvious that a double set of dogs may be used at the mouth as wellas at the bottom of the mine-shaft, in order to run the car off theplatform in either direction.

The track-rails may be connected by cross ties or braces, in addition tothe rock-shafts, if desired.

In some mines the car is run onto the cage from one side (or end) of thecage only. In this case only one set of dogs is required at the bottomof the shaft, the same as at the mouth of the shaft, where the car isrun off the cage in one direction only. In cases where the car is runoff of the cage in one direction only, one rock-shaft passing through orunder the track on the platform is all that is necessary.

The pitmen at the mouth of the shaft, connected with the tripping-dogs,and the rods at the bottom of the shaft, used for operating thosedogs,may be provided with turn-buckles for the purpose of adjusting thelength of said pitmen and rods.

\Vhere the mine-shaft is divided into two verticalfiapartments,theseveral devices for operating the cages and cars will be duplicated.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

the platform having the tracks thereon capa' ble of elevation at eitherend, and the rockshafts connected with said tracks, of dogs with whichsaid rock-shafts are adapted to engage.

2. In a mine-elevator, the combination,with the platform having tracksthereon capable of elevation at either end, rock-shafts passing throughsaid tracks and having hook-detents,

and arms which are engaged by the wheels of the car, of the dogs withwhich the said hookdetents engage, and the car-keeper adapted to beactuated by the tracks.

3. In a mine-elevator, the combination,with

'avertically-traveling platform having tracks thereon capable ofelevation at either end, and the rock-shafts which operate the same, ofdogs located so as to engage said operatingshafts, to cause the car tobe run off the tracks *in either direction, and the car-keeper toprevent accidental displacement of the car.

4. In a mine-elevator, the combinatiomwith the vertically-travelingplatform, the tracks thereon, the bifurcated standards, the rockshaftsconnecting the tracks together, and provided with arms which are engagedby the car-wheels, and hook-detents at their ends, and the car-keeperactuated by the tracks, of

the sets of dogs located at the bottom and mouth of the mine-shaft, thedevices for ad: justing the dogs to and from the hook-detents, and theplatform-supports constructed to allow of the ascent of the platform andto prevent its descent.

5. In a mine-elevator, the combination,with the platform, the tracksthereon capable of elevation at either end, the bifurcated standards,and the rock-shafts which connect the tracks together, of the car-keepershaft having arms at its ends, in which are pivoted triggers capable ofyielding in one direction, the said keepershaft being connected with oneof said tracks, whereby it is actuated to allow the car to run ofi'. I

6. In a mine-elevator, the upper set of tripping-dogs, and the pitlnenand devices for adjusting and securing the same.

7. In amine-elevator, the lower sets of tripping-dogs, the rods whichconnect them together, and the rock-shaft having arms connected to thedogs, the sliding bar, and the locking-plate.

8. In a mine-elevator, the pivoted platform supports constructed toyield to the upward passage of the platform, and to automatically passunder the same and prevent its accidental descent.

9. In a mine-elevator, the pivoted platform-

